Mount Rinjani Summit 2-Day Trekking Tour Lombok

Mount Rinjani, the volcano of Lombok

Mount Rinjani rises to 3,726 metres and is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. It sits inside Gunung Rinjani National Park, a UNESCO Global Geopark, and has a huge crater that holds the turquoise lake Segara Anak and the smaller cone of Gunung Baru. A Mount Rinjani trekking tour is the most popular outdoor challenge in Lombok, and the summit route is the hardest and most rewarding of them.

This two-day summit trek uses the Sembalun route, which starts on the eastern side of the mountain and climbs through open grassland before the steep final ascent. It is a shared tour, so you join other trekkers with a guide and porters. The trek is physically demanding, and you should be in good health and used to walking uphill for several hours.

Sembalun village and the trail to the crater rim

Day one starts with pickup from your hotel in Senaru or Sembalun, then breakfast and a drive of about an hour to Sembalun village, where you register at the Rinjani Information Centre. From there the trail crosses open savanna to the first rest posts, called Pos 1 at about 1,300 metres, Pos 2 at about 1,500 metres and Pos 3 at about 1,800 metres.

There is little shade on this side of the mountain, so bring a hat and sun protection. The group stops for lunch and a hot drink at Pos 3, then continues for around three hours to the crater rim at 2,639 metres. Porters carry the cooking and camping equipment, so you only carry a small daypack with your personal items.

Camping on the Sembalun crater rim

The crater rim is where you spend the night, in tents set up by the porters, with a toilet tent and sleeping bags and mattresses provided. From here you look down into the caldera and across Segara Anak lake, with the sunset colouring the sky and the whole of north Lombok spread out below.

Evenings on the rim are cold and windy, even in the dry season, so pack warm layers, a jacket, a hat and gloves. Dinner is cooked by the team, and you should go to bed early, because the summit attempt starts around 1:30 AM. Anyone searching for a Rinjani camping tour will find the crater rim one of the most memorable places to sleep in Indonesia.

The summit at sunrise

On day two the guide wakes the group around 1:30 AM with tea or coffee and a light breakfast. The trek to the summit takes about three hours, in the dark with a head torch, over loose sand and gravel where each step feels smaller than the last. It is the most tiring part of the trek, and your guide walks with you the whole way.

At the top, at 3,726 metres, you wait for sunrise and take photographs. On a clear morning you can see across the whole of Lombok, the Gili Islands, Bali and Sumbawa. The temperature at the summit can be close to freezing with strong wind, so wear all your layers. After the descent to the campsite the porters have breakfast ready, and the group then walks down to Sembalun village.

Rinjani National Park, seasons and practical tips

The trekking season is roughly from April to October, when the trails are dry, and the park is normally closed to trekkers for part of the wet season early in the year, so availability depends on the date. The best time to climb Mount Rinjani is usually the dry months, when the summit views are clearest. Check the calendar for available dates.

The national park entrance fee is included only in the option that says so; in the other option you pay it yourself. Backpack, trekking shoes, long trousers and gloves are not included, so bring your own. After booking, contact us with your pickup hotel, and we can confirm the details with the trekking team.